Direct Flooring won't refund money. Will only issue a Credit Note.

Slinky

You might as well go for the more expensive option if you're getting a credit note you won't want to use. Alternatively go for the cheaper option but buy something else with the credit note and flog it on FB marketplace/ebay or similar to recover some of your money.

The shop is perfectly entitled to act as they have done. An expensive lesson for you to learn.

Portessie

eskbanker said:

Portessie said:

eskbanker said:

Portessie said:

eskbanker said:

Portessie said:

Surely any customer has a right to a change of heart, or when changing to a different purchase, a refund of the difference? What Direct Flooring are saying can't be legal, surely?

Which specific law do you feel they're breaking?

Do customers not have a cooling off period, or a right to change their minds?

No, not for an in-store purchase (it's different for distance sales).

So if we'd made it online we'd be able to receive a refund, most likely? That hardly seems fair to customers. It means we're stuck with having to buy in the same shop and if we reinstate our purchase, but go cheaper, we're stuck with a Credit Note we don't need. 

Yes, the principle behind distance selling rights is that the consumer should have additional protection by virtue of not having had the opportunity to see (or try on, etc) goods in the way that would be possible in a shop, but when buying in person you're essentially committing to a purchase and only have any rights if the goods are faulty.

As above, you're not even legally entitled to a credit note for a change of mind after an in-store purchase, so the retailer isn't being as unfair as you seemingly consider them to be - the time to evaluate your preferences is before purchasing, not afterwards....

It's just that we bought wooden flooring, and afterwards worried about whether it'd fit under the doors, and whether the fitters would plane the doors if needed, but they probably wouldn't as that's not their job. So we tried to pull the plug and have a think about it only to have this outcome. We're further concerned a bit because we're worried that wooden flooring can mark or damage too easily. It looks like to save our money and not lose anything we'll have no choice but to reinstate the order. A lesson learned by me, folks.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Worth a note, if they have some kind of voluntary policy of refunding for change of mind (which doesn’t mention refunding in credit) that forms part of the contract and must be honoured.

born_again

Portessie said:

It's just that we bought wooden flooring, and afterwards worried about whether it'd fit under the doors, and whether the fitters would plane the doors if needed, but they probably wouldn't as that's not their job. So we tried to pull the plug and have a think about it only to have this outcome. We're further concerned a bit because we're worried that wooden flooring can mark or damage too easily. It looks like to save our money and not lose anything we'll have no choice but to reinstate the order. A lesson learned by me, folks.

Easy fix. Just plane a bit off the bottom of the doors. 

Never had a issue when having carpets or other flooring fitted & fitters doing it.

Okell

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Worth a note, if they have some kind of voluntary policy of refunding for charge of mind (which doesn’t mention refunding in credit) that forms part of the contract and must be honoured.

This is what I was going to say.

@Portessie -  check to see what the retailer's own returns policy says and whether it says that refunds are only paid by credit note.  

If it doesn't then you could ask them nicely to refund you by your original payment method, but as others have said, with an in-store purchase you have no legal right to return for a refund, so a credit note might be the best outcome.

As an aside, couldn't you have checked if the fitters would have shaved the doors?  I'd have thought that was a common problem and they do it all the time - but might charge a little extra.

Portessie

Okell said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Worth a note, if they have some kind of voluntary policy of refunding for charge of mind (which doesn’t mention refunding in credit) that forms part of the contract and must be honoured.

This is what I was going to say.

@Portessie -  check to see what the retailer's own returns policy says and whether it says that refunds are only paid by credit note.  

If it doesn't then you could ask them nicely to refund you by your original payment method, but as others have said, with an in-store purchase you have no legal right to return for a refund, so a credit note might be the best outcome.

As an aside, couldn't you have checked if the fitters would have shaved the doors?  I'd have thought that was a common problem and they do it all the time - but might charge a little extra.

I've read the small print now, and there's no way they'll refund the amount, and we've been in the shop a couple of times now pleading our case, and they won't budge. We're going to reinstate the original order, book a joiner ourselves to fit the flooring, and who'll plane the doors if required. We do like the flooring, but that refund policy has really !!!!!! us off. It seems quite unfair to the consumer.

CliveOfIndia

Jenni_D said:

It has always been that way - long before online (or distance) sales existed or became "regulated".

Absolutely.  I remember when I was a kid, M&S made a big thing out the fact that they would refund you if you changed your mind, and I think they were the first major retailer to offer this extra benefit.  Obviously that was more a case of clever marketing - there was never, and still isn't, any legal right to a refund for change of mind, when the goods were bought in-store.

Keep_pedalling

Portessie said:

eskbanker said:

Portessie said:

eskbanker said:

Portessie said:

eskbanker said:

Portessie said:

Surely any customer has a right to a change of heart, or when changing to a different purchase, a refund of the difference? What Direct Flooring are saying can't be legal, surely?

Which specific law do you feel they're breaking?

Do customers not have a cooling off period, or a right to change their minds?

No, not for an in-store purchase (it's different for distance sales).

So if we'd made it online we'd be able to receive a refund, most likely? That hardly seems fair to customers. It means we're stuck with having to buy in the same shop and if we reinstate our purchase, but go cheaper, we're stuck with a Credit Note we don't need. 

Yes, the principle behind distance selling rights is that the consumer should have additional protection by virtue of not having had the opportunity to see (or try on, etc) goods in the way that would be possible in a shop, but when buying in person you're essentially committing to a purchase and only have any rights if the goods are faulty.

As above, you're not even legally entitled to a credit note for a change of mind after an in-store purchase, so the retailer isn't being as unfair as you seemingly consider them to be - the time to evaluate your preferences is before purchasing, not afterwards....

It's just that we bought wooden flooring, and afterwards worried about whether it'd fit under the doors, and whether the fitters would plane the doors if needed, but they probably wouldn't as that's not their job. So we tried to pull the plug and have a think about it only to have this outcome. We're further concerned a bit because we're worried that wooden flooring can mark or damage too easily. It looks like to save our money and not lose anything we'll have no choice but to reinstate the order. A lesson learned by me, folks.

It is not a difficult job to plane a small amount off the bottom of internal doors. I had to do it when I/ fitted solid wood flooring in my previous house. Anyone who is proficient at installing wood floors should be able to do it. 

TELLIT01

I think many people became so used to shops accepting returns without question that they assumed there was a legal entitlement to do so.  That is not true, and many more retailers are taking a much firmer line by either refusing to accept returns based on 'change of mind' or only issuing a credit note.

The OP does at least have a credit note, and isn't stuck with flooring they think they can't use.

Arunmor

TELLIT01 said:

I think many people became so used to shops accepting returns without question that they assumed there was a legal entitlement to do so.  That is not true, and many more retailers are taking a much firmer line by either refusing to accept returns based on 'change of mind' or only issuing a credit note.

The OP does at least have a credit note, and isn't stuck with flooring they think they can't use.

I think many people "of a certain age"